Collapsible container



Aug. 6, 1935. v. R. SCOTT 2,010,441

COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Filed Nov. 8, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 r 3 //VVA 7 0H VICTOR fio swrr' ArroRA/EY.

Aug. 6, 1935.

V. R. SCOTT COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Filed NOV. 8, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 x j F129. 17/

A F1 /6. Ivy/v m V/crm fiarScozr ZMQM ,0 war Arron/vet Patented Aug. 6, 1935 x UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Victor Roy Scott, Frankton Junction, New Zealand Application November 8, 1934, Serial No. 752,017 In New Zealand August 11, 1934 8 Claims. (01. 217- 12) This invention relates to collapsible contain- Figures 9a and 9b are perspective views of the ers, or boxes which are formed of cardboard, pertaining end walls. wood, or the like. Figure 10 is a plan of a cardboard blank. I

The object of the present invention is to con- Figure 11 is a fragmentary View of a slightly 'struct a container that will be inexpensive to different form of blank. 5

manufacture, easy to assemble, light, and that Figure 12 is a view showing how a cleat is will resist the entry of dust and air, such a conattached. tainer being particularly useful for the packing Figures 13A, 13B and 13C are views showing and export of butter, fruits and other perishable ,how the half-cleats are attached to the side walls goods. and folded over. 10

According to the present invention, the ver- Figures 14 and 15 are perspective views showtical side walls of the box and the horizontal. ing the construction in the case of a modified walls which form the bottom and lid, have lockform of box. 7

ing pieces attached to the inner sides of the F gure 16 is a D P V View Showing that 15 walls parallel with the ends thereof. The ends with the construction shown in Figures 14 an 15 of the box are formed by walls having locking upon the side walls being collapsed the end wall pieces attached at'theirvertical ends to interact falls away.

with the locking pieces attached to the ends of Figure 17 is a cross section of a corner of the,

the vertical side walls. -These locking pieces, b S o a d a l.

f1) when the box is assembled form a rectangular Referring o t d w the Vertical Side -20 interlocked frame for the ends of the box and walls an bOttOm 3,1id and p & made support the sides and lock the end walls to the from one piece of cardboard. This sheet of vertical side walls. The arrangement is such cardboard, as shown in Figure 10, has cut-away that when the three sides, that is, the bottom V portions 6 along its sides at the folds of the and the two vertical walls, 'are brought into, walls of the box, such folds being indicated at 'l 2 relative assembled position, the end walls are by dotted lines in Figures 9 and 10, so that a simply slid into position, the locking pieces of mitre, as at 8, will be formed when the sidesof the end walls sliding against the vertical locking the box are folded into position. The parallel pieces of the vertical walls and look into the edges 9on the sides of each projecting part In looking piece upon the bottom. The lid, upon will meet in a butt joint, as clearly shown in being folded over, will permit its locking piece Figures 5 and 6. Cleats H are attached to the to look into both the vertical locking pieces and bottom 3 andlid 4 on the parts l0 and secured thus complete the frame and secure the parts by tacks l2. Half-cleats M are similarly secured of the box firmly together. by tacks I5 to the parts ID of the vertical walls 5. The invention will be described in detail with I and 2. After .the cleats H and half-cleats I4 the aid of the accompanying drawings, wherehave been secured in position, they are then foldin:- ed over to the position shown in Figure. 9.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the assembled In Figures 13A, 13B and 130 are shown the 'box. stages :in regard to the half-cleats M, where A 40 Figure 2 is a perspective view of the box with shows a half-cleat when it is first fastened to io the lid opened. the carboard. The first fold takes place along Figure 3is aperspective view of the box showthe dotted lines l6 and assumes the position ing one end removed and the other end partially shown in Figure 13B, from where it is turned withdrawn. up along the dotted line H to the position shown 5 Figure 4 is an end view of the frame with the in Figure 130. The cleats H on the bottom and walls in section. lid are similarly folded over and would assume Figures 5 and 6 are perspectiveviews showing the position shown in Figure 12, but it will be the construction of the corners. noticed in regard to the half-cleats M on the Figure '7 is a perspectiveview showing how the sides I and 2 that a space I9 is left (see also corners of the frame fit together. a Figure 6). The cleats II on the bottom and lid 50 Figure 8 is a perspective view of a modifica are formed with tenons 20. and the half-cleats 'tion. M on the sides I and 2 are formed with open Figure 9 is a perspective view of acardb'oard mortises 21. The end walls 22 of the box have blank and ends with the cleats imposition prehalf-cleats 23 attached to them at their vertical vious to foldinginto an assembled position. edges, these half-cleats being of a size corre 55 spending to the half-cleats M, and secured by Figures 2 and 8). These half-cleats 23 have open mortise ends 25 (see Figures 6 and 9) in the same manner as the half-cleats it.

Upon folding the vertical side walls 5 '2 of the box into an assembled position, as in Figure 3, the tenons e of the cleats i will enter the open mortises it of the half-cleats i l. The end walls 22 are new placed in position by entering the bottom ends of the half-cleats 23 into the space is between the half-cleats i l and the vertical walls. The end may then be simply dropped or slid downwards as shown in Figure 3, and when both end walls are inserted the box will assume the position shown in Figure 2. The lid s may now be closed, the tenons 2d of the cleats ii on the lid enterin the combined open mortises 2i and in the top of the two halfcleats it and and the box is brought finally to the position shown in Figure 1, the flap 5 being tucked in on the inner side of the wall 5, as shown in Figure 4. An end frame is thus provided by means of the cleats, as shown in Figure 4, the corners of which are all securely loc ed together by the tenons and mortises. The construction of the corners of this frame is clearly shown in Figure 7, where it will be seen that the lower ends of the two vertical half-cleats will be held by the tenon iii of the horizontal cleat H passing through both of them. This looking of the cleats at the corners is a very important feature of this box. The joint of the flap with the walls can be sealed and made air-tight by such means as wax, parchment paper, or the like.

The box may also be sealed by means or a sealing strip ll (see Figure 17), consisting of strong tough paper the full length of the box flap. This strip is provided with a gumrned edge at which is adhered to the exterior of the edge of the side i. It is then laid loose over the contents and when the flap l is inserted it will take the strip down with it and form a dustproof joint. When the lid 1 is opened, the stripis simply lifted by the inside edge 42 and turned back, as indicated in dotted lines, and any dust held in the fold will be shaken out.

It will be seen by referring to the figures especially to Figure 5, that since the ends of the cardboard sides have been folded around the cleats and half-cleats, the end walls 22 will butt against the folded-in edges of the cardboard at 27 and give a finished appearance to the box, completely obscuring the end frames.

The container may be easily opened while the contents arev still therein by opening the lid, sliding out the two end Walls 22, and the two vertical side walls may then be collapsed, and the box again assumes the position shown in Figure 9.

Referring now to Figures 14 to 16, instead of the cleats being attached to the parts th, the blank shown in Figure would be cut without these parts, as in the detail in Figure 11, and the cleats in this case would then be attached in the position indicated in the figure.

All the cleats on the walls are the same size in this case, that is the bottom cleats 28 and the cleats 29 on the vertical wall are all the same section, but the tenons 3% however, are longer than the thickness of the cleat 29 by that of a cleat 32 on the end wall 33 (see Figure so as to leave a space St between the cleat 29 and the shoulder of the tenon 3i! to receive mortised end of the cleat 32 which, in the drawings, is shown half the thickness of the cleats 28 and 29. The cleats 32 are attached to the end walls 33 at a distance from the vertical edges of the wall corresponding to the width of the cleat 29 so that when the mortise 35 at the lower end of the half-cleat 32 engages with the tenon 3B, the overhanging edge 3 will over-lap the cleat 2%, as shown in Figure 14. The edge of the cardboard in this case covers only the outer sides of the cleats as shown, and provides the mitre 8 but not the butt joint 9. This same form of blank may also be used with the construction described in reference to Figures 1 to '7, and 9 to 13.

An advantage of this construction is that upon the lid being opened, and the vertical walls being opened outwards, so that its cleats 29 will be clear of the tenons 3d, the end walls 33, together with their cleat 32, and the bottom cleat 28 will simply fall outwards, as indicated in Figure 16, without the necessity of actually drawing the end wall from engagement with the cleats.

The double cleats, instead of being on the vertical sides, may be arranged on the bottom and top of the box, and in such a case the sides of the box hold up better while that is being fitted, and when the sides are collapsed, the ends become free.

As a further simplification, the cardboard blank can be simply rectangular and the cleats attached to its edge, which in such a case would correspond to the dotted line i! in Figure 10. Such a construction is indicated in Figure 8, where the same reference letters are used as in Figures 14.- to 16. In this case the cardboard is tacked to the cleats from the outer side as shown, and may be bound or strengthened with wires 26.

This construction also lends itself to a wooden box where the sides may consist of wood panels bound by the wire 26 in the usual way. The ends 33 can also be of wood.

What I claim is:

1. A collapsible container or box comprising vertical side walls, horizontal walls forming the bottom and lid, end walls, said side and horizontal walls hingeably connected together, looking pieces on the walls in the form of cleats having tenons and open mortises, said cleats attached to the inner side of the horizontal and vertical walls at the ends thereof, the tenons on one set of cleats entering the niortises of the cleat on the adjoining wall, and the tenons or mortises of the end wall cleats also engaging the tenons or mortises on the cleats of the horizontal walls.

2. In the box as claimed in claim 1, an extended portion on the ends of the vertical and horizontal walls on which are secured the cleats, said extended portion with the cleats thereon turned over, the cleats on the horizontal walls filling the space within the turned over part, the cleats on the vertical walls of lesser width and, therefore, leaving a space between its wall and the side of the lesser size cleat, the cleats on the end walls of size to enter such space when the container is assembled, the tenon or mortise of the end wall cleats, upon the box being assembled, engaging the tenon or mortise on the vertical and horizontal cleats projecting beyond the cleats on such walls.

3. In the box as claimed in claim 1, the cleats attached to the end Walls adapted to slide against that side of the cleats of the vertical walls remote from such Walls and have their tenons or mortises engaging the tenons or mortises of the cleats on the horizontal Walls, on that side of such vertical cleats remote from the walls.

4. In the box as claimed in claim 1, the cleats attached to the end walls adapted to slide against that side of the cleats of the vertical walls remote from such walls and have their tenons or mortises engaging the tenons or mortises of the cleats on the horizontal walls, on that side of such vertical cleats remote from the walls, said cleats on the end walls attached at a position so that vertical ends of the end walls will project beyond them and overlap the interior side of the other wall cleats.

5. In the box as claimed in claim 1, the vertical side and horizontal walls formed of cardboard folded to form hingeable joints dividing the vertical side and horizontal walls, extended portions on the ends of said walls, said cleats attached to the said extended portions which are folded over to partially envelop the said cleats.

6. In the box as claimed in claim 1, the walls formed of cardboard, an extended portion on the ends of the vertical side and horizontal walls on which are secured the cleats, said extended portion with the cleats thereon to cover the cleats on three sides thereof folded over, the cleats on the horizontal walls filling the space within the folded over part, the cleats on the vertical walls in the form of half-cleats and, therefore, leaving a space between the wall and the side of the half-cleat, similar half-cleats on the end walls adapted to enter such space when the box is assembled, the tenon or mortise of the end wall half-cleats upon the box being assembled engaging the tenon or mortise on the vertical and horizontal cleats projecting beyond the halfcleats on such walls.

7. In the box as claimed in claim 1, the Walls formed of cardboard folded to form hingeable joints dividing the vertical side and horizontal walls, extended portions on the ends of the said walls, cleats attached to the said extended portions which are folded over to envelop the cleats on two sides thereof, the tenons or mortises of the cleat on the horizontal walls being of a length so as to leave a space between the vertical cleats and the end of the tenon or mortise into Which will fit the mortise or tenon on the ends of the cleats on the end walls, so that when the vertical sides are collapsed the end wall and the cleat on the bottom horizontal wall will fall away.

8. In the box as claimed in claim 1, a paper closure strip adhered to the upper edge of a vertical side wall and lying loosely over the contents of the box, a flap on said lid adapted to push down said strip and form a dust-proof joint.

VICTOR ROY SCOTT. 

